January 8, 2026 — King County, Washington Residents affected by the December 2025 atmospheric river floods that triggered levee breaches along the Green and White Rivers, prompted over 100,000 evacuations statewide, and caused record river crests on the Snoqualmie, Green, White, and Tolt rivers have until Thursday to claim replacement food benefits from the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
King County officials extended the deadline to January 8 for those who lost food due to flooding or power outages, urging eligible residents to call 877-501-2233 or visit a local Community Services Office.
Recovery efforts continue with free storm debris disposal at designated transfer stations on select January weekends, state disaster assistance totaling $25 million, property tax relief, and volunteer cleanup via Crisis Cleanup. The King County Flood Warning System provides real-time river monitoring amid ongoing risks.
The event, rated a Category 5 atmospheric river by weather experts—one of the strongest on record—began December 8, stalling over Western Washington and dumping up to 10 inches of rain in the Cascades.
Saturated soils led to overflows, with the Desimone levee breaching near Tukwila on December 14 along the Green River, placing 46,000 people under flash flood warnings in Kent, Auburn, and Tukwila. A second breach occurred on December 16 along the White River in Pacific, evacuating 2,100 residents.
“A lot of work is being done to monitor levees, to make sure we’re paying attention to the dams. We’re still in the middle of this… this is a very active situation, a very volatile situation.”
— Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, Dec. 16, 2025
Roads faced major disruptions, including a mudslide closing I-90 near North Bend on December 9 and a 49-mile stretch of US 2 damaged by landslides, requiring months of repairs. Landslides and power outages compounded impacts on homes, farms, septic systems, and parks.
One death was reported in neighboring Snohomish County when a 33-year-old man drove into floodwaters on December 16. Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency on December 10, followed by federal approval on December 12, mobilizing National Guard rescues.
Local resources include tenant rights guidance and free debris disposal, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers aiding levee reinforcements. As of January 8, impact surveys inform further federal aid, while parks and trails reopen gradually.
